Public urges caution, accommodations as Manteno board defers remote-attendance ordinance

Manteno — Residents packed public comment at the March 16 Manteno Village Board meeting to press the board on whether trustees should be allowed to participate remotely in meetings.

Trustee Geske moved to table Ordinance 25‑38, which would create a remote‑attendance policy, saying more committee-level guidelines were needed before a vote. The motion to remove the ordinance from tonight’s agenda won broad agreement and the item was deferred for further discussion.

Several residents told the board the topic raises competing concerns about accountability and accessibility. Karen Brzecki, a long‑time firefighter now out of the profession because of illness, said she opposed remote participation for trustees who were appointed and expected to attend in person. “If you take the job, you accept the responsibility that you should be at the meeting,” she said, arguing that remote access could be hypocritical if it were granted to an appointee who replaced someone with health issues.

By contrast, Emily Herman, a nonprofit leader and active cancer patient, urged the board to adopt reasonable accommodations for trustees facing medical limitations. “If you are facing a health concern or injury, why should the only options be to show up or quit?” she said, calling for clear rules that would permit remote participation for legitimate needs while preventing misuse.

Sandy Chiz cited the Illinois Open Meetings Act in a cautionary note: a physical quorum must be present for the board to conduct business. Chiz urged the board to adopt attendance requirements first and said current ordinance language on compensation—pay for meetings “actually attended”—appears to imply physical presence.

Trustees and members of the public also raised practical questions about implementation, including whether remote participants would be paid the same as those attending in person and how the village would confirm a remote member’s capacity to participate in votes.

Mayor/Village President (name not provided in the transcript) acknowledged the disagreement and said the ordinance would be developed further; Trustee Geske’s motion to postpone the ordinance carried, removing Ordinance 25‑38 from tonight’s agenda.

Next steps: Board members said they will continue committee discussion and return the ordinance with clarified rules and any related attendance or compensation changes before taking a formal vote.